SC paves way for CBI probe in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj stone‑mining scam
New Delhi – Dec 10 (LatestNewsX) – The Supreme Court gave the Central Bureau of Investigation the green light to look into an alleged Rs 1,500‑crore stone‑mining scam in Sahibganj, dealing a blow to the Jharkhand administration. The case revolves around a syndicate that many believe was orchestrated by Pankaj Mishra, a close confidant of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
A bench composed of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Alok Aradhe dismissed the state government’s special leave petition and upheld the Jharkhand High Court’s order to let the CBI conduct the probe. The top court criticized the government’s request to narrow the investigation’s scope, especially since key figures linked to the chief minister are at its center.
Justice Kumar’s panel rejected the argument that the High Court had overstepped by allowing a broader CBI inquiry. The state had claimed that a central investigation was unwarranted and that its own bodies could handle the matter.
At the same time, the Enforcement Directorate is tightening its money‑laundering investigation into the same mining cartel. In a supplemental complaint filed on June 30 before the Special PMLA Court in Ranchi, the ED added eight more individuals and two firms to the list of accused, bringing the total number of named parties to 19 across six complaints.
The ED says the illegal mining and extortion network was driven by Pankaj Mishra, a powerful JMM leader closely associated with CM Hemant Soren. The agency estimates the illicit proceeds exceed Rs 1,000 crore. So far, it has seized about Rs 5.34 crore in cash, an inland vessel, five industrial stone crushers, several cars, and bank balances that sum to more than Rs 13.32 crore.
The investigation originated from an FIR filed by Jharkhand Police under the IPC and Arms Act, uncovering a politically shielded cartel that dominated mining and stone transport in the Sahibganj region.
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